Richardson ISD is trying to help students reduce the fear of transitioning from high school to college.
Mia Frederking is a senior at Pearce High School in Richardson ISD, where students are taking college-level pre-calculus.
"Math is really more of a puzzle to me," she said. "Figure out which one goes into which spot."
If that isn't hard enough--kids do it when they're adjusting to being away from home-- living and working on their own.
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"It's really kind of like you're swimming in the deep end for the first time in your life. And so what we're doing is we're starting off with floaties on their arms, helping them get used to the deep end," said Tobi Brooks, who teaches the course at Pearce.
Professors at the University of Texas designed the course. The high school faculty teach it.
"The motto is experienced college before college. So if they are not quite ready for college, this helps them become more college-ready," said Brooks.
Carter In The Classroom
Focusing on unique things school districts are doing to help children succeed.
Student can earn college credit if they pass, but that's not the big point. It's about taking away some of the fear of college and letting all kids develop a comfort level and see what it's like ahead of time.
"I've done this for like, my last three years, I've been in an honors class. And basically, like, you have options to learn out of school, more of, I guess, like, they have like, stuff for you. It's like watching, like lectures that they give at the actual college," said James Robinson, a student in the class.
Group work at the high school and lectures from college professors all blended is not to help you buzz through college per se, but to help you relax, feel comfortable and just do your best.
